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"You o back?" said Iko as they stepped out into the basement

"Yes, but it’s fine The doctor said I’ to pay me, and Adri won’t know about it"

"How rabbed Cinder’s wrist just as Cinder opened the chicken wire door to her workroom "You realize what this means?"

Cinder held the door open with her foot "Which part?"

"It means you can afford a pretty dress--prettier than Pearl’s! You can go to the ball, and Adri won’t be able to say anything to stop you!"

Cinder pressed her lips together like she’d just bitten a lerip "Really, Iko?" she said, exa herto let o now just because I can buy my own dress? She would probably tear it off me and try to resell the buttons"

"Well--fine, on’t tell her about the dress or about going to the ball You don’t have to go with them You’re better than the like mad as if her processor could barely keep up with all these revelations "Immune to letumosis My stars, you could be a celebrity because of this!"

Cinder ignored her, stooping to prop the netscreen against the shelving unit Her gaze had landed on a pile of silver fabric cruht "What’s that?"

Iko’s fan cal myself to throw it away I didn’t think anyone would ever coht I’d keep it For myself"

"That was bad, Iko It could have been infected" Cinder hesitated only for ait up by the pearl-dotted sleeves It was sed with dirt and covered in wrinkles, and there was a chance it had been exposed to letumosis, but the doctor had said the disease wouldn’t survive long on clothing

Besides, nobody was ever going to wear it now

She draped the gown over the welder and turned away "We’re not using thisto the ball"

"Why not?" Iko said, a distinct whine in her robotic voice

Approaching her desk, Cinder swung her leg up and started unloading the stashed tools from her calf "You reasoline one?"

Iko’s speakers et to a groan "What about it?"

"It’s going to take all our time and "

Cinder was recording a e co The words scrolled across her vision GET CAR ASSESS CONDITION FIND PARTS DOWNLOAD WIRING BLUEPRINT ORDER GASOLINE

She spotted Kai’s android on her worktable fix android "I aht ponytail, strangely excited Marching to the standing toolbox in the corner, she started fishing for things that enerators, anything to help get that car cleaned up and ready for fixing "We’re going to go back tonight Get it to the parking garage if we can, othere o back to the palace to and take a look at the prince’s android toent, I think I could have it fixed in a couple weeks,on what it needs, of course"

"But why? Why are we fixing it?"

Cinder shoved the tools into her et us out of here"

Chapter Sixteen

NIGHTSHIFT NURSES AND ANDROIDS PLASTERED THEMSELVES to the walls as Prince Kai barreled through the corridor He had run all the way from his bedroo to catch his breath only when he was forced to wait for the elevator He burst through the door to the visiting roo the door’s handle

His ainst the far wall The adviser tore his gaze frolassand nation

"I heard--" Kai started, pulling back his shoulders Wetting his dry mouth, he came into the roo rooht fluorescents in the quarantine